Shades of Grey
by Sarah-elf princess
Summary: When summer vacation becomes a crossroad of life and you realize that everything you believed was nothing more than a childhood dream.
1. Of the Color Gold

Story Title: Shades of Grey

Chapter Title: Of the Color Gold

Disclaimer: Not nearly cool enough to write House, I certainly don't own it!

Author's notes: Hey Everyone! I love House, M.D. and I totally believe the show has more potential than any other new show this year. This, however, is my first fic.

This idea was born out of boredom and a "what if" situation involving Dr. House and his foggy past. I'm writing this as I update, so I have no idea where it is going (well some . . .but not enough to give you a length estimate).

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Christine sighed and shifted the stack of manila papers in her arms. Without her eyes leaving the crowded hospital hallway, her rolled her head in as wide of a circle as she possible could—the popping joints were worth the much-needed stretch.

"Hey! Watch where you're going!" An irate voice called out from beside her. Christine guiltily jumped to her right, almost running into a parked wheelchair, and glanced sideways. When she saw the doctor glaring down at the intern- who had clearly ran into the doctor- she grimaced and quickened her pace. After only having been at the hospital for the grand total of four hours, she really did not feel like getting yelled at. No, her own professors did that enough.

Taking a right, she nudged open a door with her shoulder and flicked on the lights with a free finger. Christine scanned the top of each folder as she walked toward the far wall, which was lined with mailboxes, each labeled in small, perfect letters. Her blue eyes quickly connected each doctor with their respective boxes. _Albert, Anderson, Beccan, Beckerster, Coin, Eaton, Ferris, Fox, Griffin, House . . ._ Christine frowned. House's box was completely full and overflowing. At least a month's worth of mail was lying carelessly in a heap on the floor.

Not bothering to put House's mail in his, or hers, box, Christine placed in on the edge of the table. She'd just deliver it to him later. Dr. Cuddy had explicitly said that _every_ doctor needed to get the hospitals' new policy rules and, Christine decided, if House didn't check his mail then she'd have to get it to him. _'Not like I had an plans anyways,'_ she thought as she placed the last manila envelope in Worth's box.

She looked around in the empty room to check to see if anyone was there and reached upwards- stretching her arms and shoulders and spine as far as they would go. As she stretched, Christine allowed the tension to flow out of her body. _'I really must learn how to relax. School is on break. It's summer, RELAX!'_

Falling back on her heels, Christine allowed her body to drop and her shoulders sagged. _'Nothing like a little stress, right Chris?_'

Christine shook her head and her brown, shoulder length hair brushed around her face. She reached back to see if her clip had fallen out and, sure enough, it was gone. Biting back a curse, Christine scanned the room, just to make sure that it hadn't fallen out while she had been putting the envelopes in the mailboxes.

'_Of course it's not here, nothing could be _that_ easy.'_ Christine did swear when her five minutes of digging through mail boxes and feeling around tables turned up nothing. She stood and placed her hands on her hips, circling to see if she might have missed it. When the gold clip still didn't show, she sighed and gave up her search. Grabbing the envelope with House written across the top, Christine flicked off the lights and walked out of the mailroom, still throwing glances in the darkness for her clip.

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After twenty minutes of searching around the hospital, Christine had just about given up her search, when she stumbled upon House's office. She scanned inside the glass room- they still shocked her every time she saw them- but turned up nothing. His lights were on, but no one was in the office.

She glanced around and decided that he wouldn't mind if she just went in to leave the envelope. Hesitantly, Christine pushed open the door and stepped inside. Just wanting to get in and out, Christine strode to the desk and dropped the envelope with an affirmative slap. Nodding at her handiwork, she turned on her heel and was about to leave, when she heard voices coming from the attached room.

She spent a few indecisive seconds arguing with herself about actually _giving_ the envelope to Doctor House or whether she should just leave and hope for the best. If the state of his mail was any indication, Christine knew that she had to actually _hand_ the envelope to House if he was going to get it, much less read it.

She frowned and turned to snatch the envelope off the desk. Moving purposefully, Christine entered the adjoining room. Without first checking to see if anyone was actually there, she stepped in.

"Dr. House? I have an envelope from . . ." Christine stopped when House turned. The envelope fell out of her dead fingers. _'How . . .How . . .?'_

As the shock registered on his face, his mouth opened and his eyes widened. The three doctors sitting around the table turned as one to look at her, but Christine didn't notice.

Licking his lips, House just barely managed to choke out anything. "Christine?" He whispered.

Christine didn't hear him. All she could think about was him, _here_ and right in front of her. "Dad?"

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T.B.C. . . .review and let me know what you think and where you think it should go! I'll love you for it and love lasts forever.


	2. The Meaning of Family

Story Title: Shades of Grey

Chapter Title: The Meaning of Family

Disclaimer: I looked everywhere, but I can't find my proof of ownership- damn

Author's Notes: Thanks kibbiekoo31. You totally made my day!

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Silence descended upon the room.

Christine could feel the tears well in her eyes. She willed her hand to brush them away, but it remained limp at her side. Her father, _here_, standing in front of her. His steel grey eyes were wide and his mouth hung open in surprise. Not in a thousand years did she suspect to see him again. It had been too many years since he walked out on her. Too many years since that door had closed.

Her mouth felt dry and she gapped, as if she was a fish struggling to breath out of water. "How . . . how? It can't be."

House just looked at her. His voiced had escaped him. He rested heavily against his cane.

Christine felt her body began to tingle and her legs were suddenly unable to hold her up. She reached out blindly behind her and grasped the doorframe. Her nails dug into the frame. Her body fell limp against the frame.

"It isn't possible. It _can't_ be." She whispered, well aware of the three unknown set of eyes upon her and her father, who was struggling to keep himself upright. She had already given up attempting to steady herself and slid down the wall. Christine rested her head back against the doorframe and hugged her knees to her chest. With one arm around her knees and one arm resting on top, she buried her head, trying to block out the past five minutes of her life. "It's not possible, not possible." She whispered into her arm.

"It is very much possible." House whispered back. He straightened his back as much as possible and calmly strode forward. "How are you?" He asked, with a slight grin.

Christine was aghast. "You can not, after not seeing me for _four years_, just swagger up to me and ask me how I'm doing!"

House narrowed his eyes and clenched his cane. "What was I suppose to say? I'm sorry for leaving? That I've been searching tirelessly for you all these years? Please, Christine you have to give me more to work with."

Christine's body went taunt. She had not endlessly thought about what she did for her father to hate her, only to finally find him and only get a mouthful of crap from him. She raised her head from her arm and her eyes grew cold. "I can not believe you just said that."

House crocked his head. "Said what?"

Christine's eyes narrowed. "You haven't so much as sent me a Christmas card in four years and all you can _bother_ to say is that you don't care."

"Christine."

Her eyes blazed with furry. Pushing herself off the ground, Christine slowly rose to meet her father in the eye. With a deadly seriousness, she walked forward so she stood a mere six inches away from her father. Even with the added height of her heels, Christine just barely met House's height, but that did nothing to stop her. "I came here expecting a nice, _quiet_, summer and there is nothing, _nothing,_ you can do to take away from that. Do you understand me?"

House, looking slightly amused,shook his head. "A quiet summer? With you I highly doubt that is possible."

Christine practically growled as she tightened her hands at her side. She didn't even blink as House smiled sweetly and sighed dramatically. He turned to leave, but Christine's hand grabbed his arm. He looked at her death grip first and then met her eyes. "Yes?"

"You don't even know me." She said, quietly. The edge in her voice was unmistakable, and dangerous.

Cameron stood and slammed her palms down against the table. "I want to know _exactly_ what is going on here!"

House didn't release his glare from Christine. "Nothing, Cameron. Sit."

"No."

At her refusal, House turned and Christine tightened her grip. "What?"

Cameron stood under House's gaze. Chase and Forman looked up at her like she had suddenly gone crazy. "Something's clearly going on here and you better bloody fix it."

House understood the double meaning in her statement, but he didn't like it. "Cameron, you should really stay out of matters that don't concern you."

"So I should stay out too, right? Because it must not concern me either." Christine spoke up from behind him.

House sighed and turned back to her. "Why would you think that?"

"You certainly didn't treat me any better than you treated her. Your daughter, your team member, what's the difference, right? We're both just here to serve a purpose."

"Now, you can't just make those assumptions . . ." House began.

"I can and I will!" Christine snapped. She crossed her arms and stood defensively against the wall. "You couldn't be _bothered_ to stay and tell me what I could and could not do, so why should I start listening to you now?"

"That's just unfair." House said.

Christine's mouth fell open. "Oh, so now we're talking _fair_, huh. Let's start with me. Oh, here's my first unfair thing. How about my father leaving me when I was fourteen!"

"That's a low blow, Christine." House said.

"Like you would know, or care." Cameron broke in. Christine glanced at her and Cameron grinned slightly, just enough that Christine saw.

"Christine!"

All five people in the room turned to see Doctor Cuddy come running into the room. She seemed slightly out of breath and horror spread over her face as she noticed House and Christine standing toe to toe.

"How, wonderful," House said, "Our own little family reunion."

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Oh, oh, oh . . . that was exciting . . . grins


End file.
